Heavy metals in the organs of anseriform birds

The anseriform birds studied in the present work were taken from Słońsk Reserve, the Baljic Seacoast and from a breeding farm in Kołuda Wielka. The contents of metals (lead Pb, cadmium Cd, zinc Zn, copper Cu) in the livers and kidneys of male and female ducks (Anas platyrhynchos, mallard; Clangula hyemalis, long-tailed duck) and geese (Anser anser, greylag goose; A.anser f.domestica, domestic goose) were compared. The highest Cd level was found in the kidneys of mallards from the Słońsk Reserve, the lowest in the kidneys of domestic geese. Moreover, the highest levels of Pb, Zn and Cu were recorded in mallards. Analyzing the contents of metals in the livers of tested birds, the highest levels of Pb, Cd and Zn were also found in mallards and geese from Słońsk. The highest Cu level was found in the livers of domestic geese. The levels of all studied metals, except copper, was higher in the livers of females.